Vehicle brake-block.



PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

M. POTTER.

VEHICLE BRAKE BLOCK.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB.10.1906. I

UNHE STATES MORGAN POTTER, OF FISHKILL-ON- TO MORGAN POTTER COMPANY,

YORK, A CORPORATION.

Patented June 13, 1905.

ATENT Fries.

VEHICLE BRAKE- BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,554, dated June 13,1905.

h pplication filed PebruarylO, 1905. Serial No. 245,012.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORGAN Por'rnaa citizen of the United States,residing at F ishkill-onthe-Hudson, in the county of Dutchess and 5State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVehicle Brake- Blocks, of which the following, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact specificationsuflicient to enable others to practice and use my said invention.

My present invention has relation chiefly to that variety ofbrake-blocks which are employed in connection with the wheels of wagons,carriages, and other vehicles, which blocks are sustained upon theirshafts in such manner as to avoid contact with the wheel or its tireexcept at such times as the blocks are purposely brought into positionfor action by shifting the position of their shafts. The blocks areusually thus maintained on their shafts by springs which tend to keepthe tops of the blocks out of the way of the wheel-tires when the blocksare not intended to be applied against the wheels; but they might beotherwise maintained for the like purpose to prevent unnecessary wear.

My present invention also is especially advantageous for use inconnection with brakeblocks intended to bear against elastic or yieldingtires, such as rubber tires,either of the solid or pneumatic pattern;but, as will appear hereinafter, the improvements herein referred to maybe applied on blocks suitable for use in connection with other forms oftires.

The object of this invention is primarily to prevent damage to theyielding forms of tire, which, being movable as well as elastic oryielding, are liable to be compressed by the 4 bearing thereon of theblock, and thus to reach beyond the face thereof so as to come incontact with the adjacent portions of the brakeblock appliance which arenot movable, and therefore to become out or damaged.

Subordinate objects are to strengthen the blocks and to add stability tothe parts thereof and to prevent undue accumulation of dust or dirt orother foreign substances in or around the bearings of the fixed andmovable parts by which undue wearing of the hearings might 5 0 beoccasioned.

To accomplish these objects and to secure other and further advantagesin the matters of construction, operation, and use, my improvementsconsist in the application to or the construction with the brake-blockof suitable permanent guards on either or both sides of the brake-blockand at the proper points and the union of one of said guards with theabutments, by which thelatter and the brake-block are stiffened orstrengthened without in any way interfering with the proper operation ofthe block.

In the accompanying d rawin gs,formin g part of this specification, Ihave selected for illus- 5 tration one pattern of block which has aconcaved face and open back; but it should be understood that theparticular style or pattern of the block is not essential and may bevaried. For instance, the face need not be concaved, 7 the back need notbe open, and the block itself need not be of a single piece, but may besupplied with a wearing-shoe, as is sometimes done.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a brake-block, showing one of theguardsin connection with the abutments on one side of the block, the positionof the screw-stop between these abutments being indicated by dottedlines. Fig.

2 is a rear elevation of the block shown in 30 Fig. 1, omitting thebrake-block shaft. Fig.

3 is an elevation of the side opposite that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. at isa horizontal section corresponding with Fig. 2 and on a plane throughthe axis of the bearings for the brake- 5 block shaft. Fig. 5 is avertical section and elevation through the central part of thebrake-block shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a view in elevation showing thebearing-face of the block and the brake-block shaft with its 9stop-screw partly withdrawn from its bearings within the block.

In the several figures like letters of reference wherever they occurindicate corresponding parts.

A is the body of the brake-block, which, as

before pointed out, may be of any desired pattern. It is usually of castmetal, and in the form shown it has a slightly-concaved bearing-face, asat a a, which is preferable in case the block is intended to be usedagainst a rubber or other compressible tire.

B is the brake-block shaft, which is fitted to enter the bearingsprovided for it in the block and represented at Z) and 0.

C is one form of housing on the back of the block by which theblock-spring (not shown) is usually protected.

The brake-block shaft in the form shown is supplied with a projection(Z, which carries a stop-screw e, and when the block is properly locatedon the shaft this stop-screw limits the turning movement of the block onthe shaft, being struck by one or the other of the abutments f or g withwhich the block is supplied on the adjacent side.

The block being secured. upon its shaft and. being forcibly pressedagainst a compressible tire, the latter is compressed at the pointswhere the block contacts with it, and it bulges out or extends beyondthe limits of the bearing-face of the block, where it might come incontact with the projection (Z or with the stopscrew 0 on one side orwith the nut by which the block is held upon its shaft on the otherside, and thus the tire be damaged or torn. To obviate this, I supplythe block on one side with a. guard h, and this is made to extend fromone abutment f to the other, 9, and it is most conveniently andpreferably cast integrally with the block and the abutments, leaving aspace open on one side sufficient to admit and accommodate thestop-screw and permit the necessary turning movements of the block uponits shaft. The guard is of depth sufficient to cover the stop-screw andthe projection in which it is located. On the opposite side of the blockI form or apply another guard 7', which is of depth sufficient to coverthe nut or other appliance on the end of the brakeblocl-: shaft, bywhich the block is held in place on such shaft.

Neither of the guards project beyond the bearing-face of the block, andeither of them is sufficient to prevent any possible contact of the tirewith projecting portions of the shaft or its appendages, by which thetire might be damaged. Either of the projecting guards will also operateto protect the points at which the block bears on the shaft againstaccumulation of dirt or foreign substances,

and when they or either of them are cast integrally with the block theyserve to strengthen and stiffen the same. The guard 72/, which unitesthe two abutments, tends to resist the strain on either one, andtherefore they may, if desired, be made lighter than they otherwisewould need to be. hen in place, the guards in no way interfere with theapplication of the block to the shaft or its removal therefrom or withthe operation of the block, and the block, with the guards, may ofcourse be used in any situation or in connection with any particularform of tire the same as if the guards were not present.

Being constructed and arranged substantially in accordance with theforegoing explanations, my improvements will be found to adn'iirablyanswer all the purposes or objects of the invention hereinbefore alludedto.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new herein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent. is

1. The combination with a bral eblock shaft having a stop-screw for theblock, of a brake-block mounted on said shaft and having a projectingguard on its side, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a brake-block of the character herein set forth, the combinationwith the block of abutments on one side for hearing against a stop onthe brake-block shaft and projecting guards on each side to protect thebearings for the shaft in the block, substantially as and for thepurposes explained.

3. In a brake-block arranged to be mounted upon a bral e-bloclt shaftand made movable thereon, the combination with the abutments on one sideof said block, of a projecting guard connecting the said abutments,substantially as shown and for the purposes set forth.

4:. The herein-described brake-block consisting of a body havingbearings for a brakeblock shaft, abutments on one side of the block, andprojecting guards on each side, the parts being arranged. and combinedsubstantially as shown and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MORGAN POTTER.

itnesses:

M. E. lenri'ss, I. B. CAMM'AOK.

